Chapter 349: Chapter 349
Xinjiang Province, Tian Shan Mountains, a remote region of Ganghwange.
“We pay our respects to the great Demon King, who has descended upon this land.”
““We pay our respects to the Demon King!””
Countless people knelt in unison within a massive, majestic hall, their voices echoing in a thunderous chorus.
Their heads were bowed towards a figure seated on an ornate throne atop a high platform.
Hans, the newly crowned Demon King, casually rested his chin on his hand, his elbow propped on the armrest of his throne, his gaze sweeping over the kneeling crowd with an air of arrogant indifference.
A cold smile played on his middle-aged face, and ghostly flames flickered in his glassy eyes.
The hall was vast, spacious enough to accommodate hundreds of people for a lavish party, its high ceiling disappearing into the shadows above.
And to be seated on a high platform, overlooking the entire scene, their fear and reverence washing over him…
‘This is… exhilarating.’
…It was incredibly satisfying.
After all, Hans was an embodiment of negative emotions, a symbol of darkness and destruction.
Their bodies twitched and flinched involuntarily as his gaze, filled with a strange, unsettling light, swept over them.
Despite the strict entry requirements for this hall, the ‘Hall of the Demon God’, there were almost a hundred people gathered here.
And that was after the recent purge, a massive culling of the ranks. If it wasn’t for that, there would have been hundreds more.
‘The pruning is complete. There were some stubborn ones, so it took a while… but it wasn’t a problem. It was the right decision to make an example of them.’
To completely absorb a faction as large as the Heavenly Demon Cult, the cooperation of its existing leadership was essential.
But it wasn't easy for them to accept a complete stranger as their new leader, no matter how powerful he was.
Naturally, what followed was a combination of coercion, intimidation, and… executions.
He had carefully selected those who would be useful, eliminating those who were beyond redemption.
And this was the result.
“Command us, your Majesty!”
…successfully subdued and devoured the Heavenly Demon Cult.
Hans looked down at the prostrating figures and slowly opened his mouth.
“Where’s the Heavenly Riding Demon? Have you found him?”
Yalu Huan, the Heavenly Riding Demon, the Cult’s Strategist, the highest-ranking member outside the headquarters, and the commander of all external operations.
The Vice Leader of the Heavenly Communication Hall, the Cult’s intelligence agency, answered his question.
“…I apologize, your Majesty. It seems the former Strategist has sensed the change in leadership. All communication lines with him have been severed, and we’re losing contact with the other units dispatched to various locations. We’re having difficulty pinpointing his location.”
He bowed his head, his voice filled with shame.
Hans stared at him intently, wondering if he was lying or hiding something.
‘…Ugh, this… pressure… Even the previous Cult Leader wasn't this oppressive…’
The Vice Leader, drenched in a cold sweat, closed his eyes tightly, overwhelmed by the Demon King’s aura.
He had no intention of defying him.
He had witnessed firsthand what had happened to his former superior, the Heavenly Communication Hall Leader, who had pretended to submit while secretly plotting against their new master.
‘I don’t fear death. But… that’s not it!’
Defiance wouldn't just result in death.
It would be an eternity of torment and despair, an afterlife devoid of peace and rest.
The ruthless tyrant wouldn’t let them go, whether they were alive or dead.
Death wasn't an escape.
“Hmm, very well. I’ll be lenient, considering the recent… incident.”
“Oh, thank you, your Ma…!”
“But this is your only chance. Quickly restore order and re-establish communication with the other branches. If you disappoint me again— I’ll have to reconsider your usefulness.”
The Vice Leader flinched at the chilling threat and prostrated himself again, his forehead pressed against the floor.
He didn’t have time for self-pity.
If he couldn’t prove his worth, he would be turned into a resource, a material for his master’s experiments.
He couldn't complain about the Heavenly Communication Hall’s weakened state after the change in leadership. The tyrant wouldn’t care.
He had to survive, by any means necessary.
A heavy silence filled the hall as they conversed.
Almost a hundred people were gathered here, and yet, not a single sound could be heard, not even a breath.
Hans continued his assessment of the situation, giving orders and assigning tasks, the suffocating tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife.
The atmosphere was tense, but it was intentional.
He had summoned all the executives to reassert his authority and remind them of the consequences of defiance.
‘Now, for the last one.’
His gaze shifted towards the final group.
The ones he had been most anticipating.
The research division, the members of the Palace of Enlightenment, responsible for studying, analyzing, and improving all forms of magic and sorcery, excluding martial arts.
The Palace of Enlightenment.
The research and development division of the Heavenly Demon Cult, responsible for studying, analyzing, and improving all forms of magic and sorcery, excluding martial arts.
Even though martial arts was the dominant form of power in this world, they couldn't neglect other disciplines.
Unlike martial arts, which were relatively straightforward, sorcery could be incredibly dangerous and unpredictable if not properly understood.
And the Heavenly Demon Cult was known for its mastery of unorthodox and sinister sorcery, techniques that defied human morality and ethics.
If the Zhuge Clan and the Maoshan Sect were the two pillars of the righteous Murim’s sorcery, then the Heavenly Demon Cult and the Blood Cult were their counterparts in the shadows.
‘And now, even the Blood Cult has been absorbed. Their Cult Leader, the Blood Demon, was defeated and killed by the Heavenly Demon…’
It was a testament to the Demonic Cult’s preparations during their period of dormancy after the incident at the imperial palace.
They had been actively expanding their power and influence, despite the Golden Island Sect’s interference. If Hans hadn’t intervened and eliminated the Heavenly Demon, the entire Murim world would have fallen under their control.
“Welcome, your Majesty! We are honored by your visit to the Palace of Enlightenment, the cradle of knowledge!”
The old man who greeted him enthusiastically was the former Grand Elder of the Blood Cult and the current head of the Palace of Enlightenment.
He was the Blood Cult’s second-in-command, who had led his faction and pledged allegiance to the Demonic Cult after the Blood Demon’s death. He was also a psychopath who had personally turned his former leader’s corpse into a jiangshi and presented it as a tribute to the Heavenly Demon.
That jiangshi was currently deployed on a mission, so it wasn’t here.
“This way, your Majesty. We are overjoyed by your interest in the Palace of Enlightenment! The previous Cult Leader treated us like a… jiangshi factory…”
He had also been the first to surrender and pledge his loyalty to Hans after the takeover, making the process of absorbing the Demonic Cult much smoother.
“As expected of a fellow sorcerer, you understand us! Ah— I can still see it clearly. The day you summoned the storm clouds, darkening the very sky… It was as if the King of Hell himself had descended upon this world…”
Of course, it wasn’t just opportunism. He was also in awe of Hans’s power, who had single-handedly overthrown the Demonic Cult’s headquarters without using any martial arts, relying solely on his otherworldly sorcery.
He was, after all, one of the greatest sorcerers of this era.
“This is where we study curses. They’re not very useful in direct combat, and they’re difficult to use against those with strong demonic resistance… but that’s just a misconception. As you know, your Majesty, once a curse takes hold, even a Mysterious Realm expert can’t easily break free…”
But the Palace Master had one fatal flaw.
He was incredibly talkative.
He seemed to be rambling nervously, but it was still… unsettling.
‘Well, as long as he doesn’t cross the line, it’s fine. It’s not easy to find a skilled sorcerer like him, especially in this… niche field. …This place is impressive.’
Hans, half-listening to his ramblings, looked around the laboratory, a sense of admiration welling up within him.
He had been here once before, while eliminating the jiangshi, but seeing the research process laid out so clearly and systematically was a different experience.
“Ah, as expected of your discerning eye! This is where we create and improve our most powerful demon jiangshi. Our current project is a Kirin, a divine beast comparable to a dragon. Unlike ordinary demons, divine beasts are incredibly difficult to process, but we’re using a corrupted Dragon Orb…”
A four-legged beast, over three meters tall.
Its once vibrant, multicolored fur was now dull and lifeless, but the aura emanating from its body, the presence of a higher being, was undeniable.
‘So that’s how they do it.’
And as he observed the process, Hans was able to glimpse the secrets of the jiangshi creation technique, a fusion of the Demonic Cult and the Blood Cult’s secret arts.
The Palace Master’s incessant explanations and—.
…his own skills, 「Unholy Sage」, 「Forbidden Knowledge」, and 「Path of Magic」, which were constantly analyzing and dissecting the magic unfolding before him, provided him with a torrent of information.
It was an overwhelming experience, a surge of knowledge that moved even him, who rarely displayed any emotion.
“I knew you would appreciate it! Of course, the Black Jiangshi you summoned were even more impressive. After all, the ultimate goal of jiangshi creation is to enhance the subject’s original power beyond its limits, isn’t it?”
He nodded slowly, half-listening to the Palace Master’s excited ramblings.
New concepts, merging with his existing knowledge of jiangshi creation, were being reorganized and systematized within his mind, forming a new and unique understanding of the art.
It was a turning point.
He had been constantly expanding his knowledge base, absorbing information from countless worlds.
And most of that knowledge had been forcibly acquired from Heaven’s Turn Society.
His accumulated knowledge had finally reached a critical point.
《The individual’s enlightenment transcends its limits. The special skill “Forbidden Knowledge” has evolved into “Forbidden Truths”.》
It was the moment when Hans, whose magical foundation was rooted in Auterica’s dark magic,
…gained access to a wider range of knowledge, including Ganghwange’s jiangshi creation techniques, their various branches, and their methods of improvement.
‘I should focus on this for a while.’
Hans, having achieved a skill evolution, decided to stay at the Palace of Enlightenment for the time being.
「Forbidden Knowledge」, a repository of dark magic and other unholy arts,
…had evolved into 「Forbidden Truths」, granting him access to a wider range of knowledge, including Ganghwange’s jiangshi techniques, their variations, and their methods of improvement.
‘And this is the perfect environment for research.’
Of course, he couldn’t just focus on research. He had just taken over a massive organization.
He had already secured the Tian Shan mountain range, setting up barriers and magic tools… but he still needed to make his presence known, regularly patrolling the area and reminding them of his power.
‘Well, it’s a small price to pay.’
Multitasking wasn't a problem for him at this level.
Of course, the task he was currently facing wasn't exactly simple.
Hans’s private laboratory in the Palace of Enlightenment.
Two corpses lay side by side on a bed in the center of the room.
The Heavenly Demon, the former leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult…
“Kkuk kuk— Ah, indeed. With a control group, it’s much clearer now.”
…and Scribe, the new sample from Earth.
‘Now I can truly begin.’
They had been apostles of the Master of Heaven’s Turn Society, but now that they were in his hands, that was all in the past.
They would be reborn as ‘God Slayers’, weapons designed to destroy their former deity.